Virtually all owners of improved property recognize the threat to their structures posed by water damage caused by plumbing leakage. Investigation of this problem reveals that cleanup and repair costs attributable to water damage exceed one billion dollars annually. It destroys wallboard, wallpaper and paint, electrical fixtures and wiring, carpeting and padding, vinyl flooring, subflooring, and all manner of furniture and decorative items. Irreplaceable items such as financial records, photos, and mementos are destroyed beyond retrieval. Additionally, the occupants of the damaged property can expect to be driven from their structures during cleanup and repairs. Following such repairs, the structure will likely be permanently subject to mildew and related odors.
Structural water damage due to plumbing leakage occurs most often while the occupants are not present. Causes of such leakage range from frozen pipes that break resulting in water flow when thawing occurs, broken lines connected to shut-off valves attached to toilet tanks, refrigerator ice-makers, dishwashers, or a broken hose connected to a washing machine. The breaks in these lines are often caused by the nearly instantaneous closing of associated valves. Such closing causes a hammering effect on the line, in turn causing breakage in any weak areas.
Many people do not know the location of the main water shut-off valve in their structure. In addition, it is often the case that water leakage occurs due to a natural catastrophe, which is typically accompanied by an electrical power outage. Because water damage can be severe in a relatively short amount of time, a search throughout a structure, particularly a darkened one, for the water shut-off valve can result in disaster.
What is needed in the art is an apparatus allowing a structure's occupant to conveniently turn off the water supply to his or her structure each time they leave. Additionally, in the event of a power outage, the apparatus should enable automatic shutoff of the structure's water supply, thereby alleviating the necessity of manual shut-off. The present invention accomplishes these objectives by utilizing a battery-operated radio frequency wall switch transmitter and an electrical plug-in receiver controlling an electrical solenoid valve or electrically-actuated ball valve in fluid communication with a structure's water supply. When plugged in to an energized electrical wall outlet, the default setting of the solenoid valve is open, thus allowing water flow through the valve and into the structure. In the event of a power outage with concomitant loss of power to the wall outlet, the solenoid valve closes thereby preventing water flow into the structure. The solenoid valve incorporates a by-pass switch allowing, if desired, water flow through the line into the structure during a power outage. When activated, the wall switch transmitter broadcasts a radio frequency pulse to the receiver which in turn shuts the solenoid valve off, thereby preventing water flow into the structure. Upon deactivation, the wall switch transmitter broadcasts a second radio frequency pulse to the receiver which in turn opens the solenoid valve, thereby allowing water flow into the structure.